Google Pixel 3 Mic Records Terrible Audio In Videos. Will There Be A Fix?

Last year, Google Pixel 2 owners complained that the phone was recording poor audio, and Google issued a software update to fix it. The brand new Google Pixel 3 mic appears to have the same problem. Users were expecting that Google has learned its lesson. And the company has indeed tried to improve audio quality in video recordings. The Pixel 3 records true stereo audio in videos, but things haven’t gone as planned.

Google Pixel 3 mic disappoints users

Scouring through early Pixel 3 review videos on YouTube, folks at Piunikaweb noticed that the quality of recorded sound on Google’s latest flagship was terrible at best. Some of the reviewers compared video recording on the Pixel 3 with Apple’s iPhone XS Max and Samsung’s Galaxy Note 9. It is evident from the videos that Google Pixel 3 mic does a poor job in reducing noise and improving audio quality.

Reddit user bloomylicious said the Pixel 3 “audio recording is pure trash.” The Redditor added that the device was trying so hard to cancel out background noise that it ended up reducing the quality of usable audio. Going through comments on YouTube videos testing the audio quality in recorded videos, you’ll find comments like this:

Yo that mic is trash

There is absolutely no excuse for the mic being that bad

The microphone on the pixel 3 is straight up trash though. That audio quality sounds awful and tinny

Yeah that’s beyond horrible and the front camera video quality isn’t that good either

Based on the other reviews and examples, the Pixel 3’s poor video audio quality will be one easy thing to criticize. Ended up cancelling a #Pixel3 preorder and will get this family member an #iPhoneXr instead. Looking forward to the @frontpagetech “I told you so.”

A Verizon employee confirmed that “the mic hasn’t been fixed.” The issue was there in one of the demo units as well. The Verizon employee believes that it’s “more like a hardware issue than software.” Verizon is Google’s exclusive carrier partner in the United States, though you can also buy unlocked versions of Pixel 3 directly from Google’s online store.

Google hasn’t yet officially confirmed the Google Pixel 3 mic issue. Last year, it was quick to admit that the Pixel 2 had an audio problem, and had fixed it via the Android 8.1 software update.

This is not the only problem early reviewers have encountered with the Pixel 3 handsets. One Reddit user pointed out that their Pixel 3 screen had a few dead spots that don’t respond to touches, especially in the bottom left area. Another user also noticed that “a vertical section of the left side” of the phone’s screen doesn’t respond to touches. Meanwhile, BGR reported earlier this week that the front-firing speakers cause an “insane amount of vibration on the back of the phone.

Pixel 3 features and specs

Announced earlier this month, the Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL are now available for sale at Verizon stores and Google’s online store. The regular Pixel 3 starts at $799 for the base model compared to $649 for last year’s Pixel 2. The Pixel 3 XL has a starting price of $899. The Pixel 3 packs a 5.5-inch OLED display while the Pixel 3 XL gets a larger 6.3-inch screen.

The Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL have slimmer bezels than their predecessors, and the XL version had a notch at the top. Google claims the Pixel 3 speakers are about 40% louder than last year’s models. The rear panel of the new phones is made out of the glass to enable wireless charging. The phones retain their dual-tone design and the circular fingerprint sensor on the back.

The latest Pixel devices come with 4GB RAM and 64GB or 128GB storage. They are powered by the Snapdragon 845 chipset, which you’ll find in most of the flagship Android phones launched this year. The Pixel 3 lacks the 3.5mm headphone jack. The Pixel 3 packs a 2,915mAh battery while its bigger sibling gets a 3,430mAh battery.

In terms of camera, both phones have a single 12.2MP lens with f/1.8 aperture on the back and two 8-megapixel lenses on the front for selfies. The rear camera has a few AI tricks up its sleeves to enhance photography. It gets a Top Shot feature to ensure that you are capturing the best possible shot. It takes a burst of HDR pictures and suggests you the best of them. That way, you don’t have to worry about someone blinking or moving when you press the shutter. Other AI features include Super Res Zoom (to make up for the lack of optical zoom) and Night Shift (to enhance low-light photography).

Author: Vikas ShuklaAlthough he has a background in finance and holds an MBA, Vikas Shukla is a technology reporter. He has a strong interest in gadgets, gizmos, and science. He writes regularly on these topics. - He can be contacted by email at vshukla@valuewalk.com